1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bib that is attached to a drinking bottle to form a protective barrier against spills or spit-up from a child drinking from the bottle. The bib is easily accessible for wiping and cleaning up dribbles and spills made while the child is drinking. It is made of absorbing material that can be disposable or washable and that is lightweight and soft. It is specially designed to minimize the risk of blocking the child's breathing or of interfering with inhalation. The invention keeps the person who is feeding the child from becoming covered with the spilled contents while allowing for continued feeding with minimal interruption.
2. Description of Related Art
No prior art was found that teaches the present invention.
Much of the prior art teaches bibs or devices attached to an infant or adult, rather than to the bottle. Most of these focus on devices that hold a bottle in a secure and rigid drinking position without the need for parent contact:—U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,664 teaches a bib that straps to the person feeding a baby with adjustable straps to hold the bottle facing downwards in a set position; U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,796 teaches an inflatable bottle holding device that is strapped around a seated child; U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,667 teaches a bib with a wedge and straps to hold a tipped bottle or cup in place on the chest of a child who is reclining or seated at various angles; U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,940 teaches a bib worn by the child with a loop for holding a bottle in a set position for feeding; U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,225 teaches a bib worn by the child with a harness or structure attached for holding the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,121 teaches an entire bottle-feeding system, complete with a rigid bottle holding device to be laid over the front of the baby and a bib that slides into slots on the device to hold it in position under the infant's chin.
Some prior art is related to devices that cover or slide over the bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 1,210,892 teaches a device that covers a bottle such that the bottle is completely concealed during feeding. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,183,229 and 2,033,296 teach rigid devices that fit over a bottle to hold it in feeding position without another person's contact. U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,374 and Design U.S. Pat. No. 393,075 teach decorative collars that form or attach to the bottle cap.
A few prior art devices have added to the standard baby bib to improve its effectiveness These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,665 (bib with a detachable dribble roll to absorb small spills).
Another series of prior art is focused on the prevention of bottle spillage, contamination, or breakage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,600 teaches a device for preventing spillage from a bottle by means of a rigid ring device that attaches to the bottle cap. U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,205 teaches a device that attaches to the bottom of a cup or bottle to catch drips and spills. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,706,571 and 3,405,829 relate to rigid devices that cover the bottle for purposes of preventing breakage of the bottle, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,542 teaches a device that attaches to the bottle cap and shields the nipple from contamination in case the bottle is dropped. U.S. Design Pat. No. 458,380 teaches a decorated protective collar that slides over the bottle cap.